Making It Work With Tim Gunn

Written by PETA | December 21, 2008

Any other Project Runway fans out there? Yep, that’s what I thought! I am just dying for them to announce the date for the new season. I mean, yeah, the clothes are awesome and the drama is entertaining, but I’ll admit that the real reason I tune in is to see the true genius behind the show: Tim Gunn. Know what his next project is? Convincing Donna Karan and Giorgio Armani to forgo fur! Yes, that’s right. America’s best-known arbiter of good taste and style has just narrated PETA’s new exposé of fur farms—including just-obtained footage of rabbit fur farms in China, where Karan and Armani both source their pelts. Check out the video here:

Because the designers have refused to meet with PETA to view the footage, Gunn has just sent it to them with a personal plea. Why is the fur flying over Chinese pelts in particular? The world’s largest exporter of fur is now China—where foxes, rabbits, and cats and dogs are often skinned alive.

“Any designer in the fashion industry who does not want to watch the PETA video and see exactly what happens to animals and how they’re treated and how the product that they use comes to the marketplace I believe is egregiously irresponsible,” says Tim. “It is critically important that we all be educated about these matters and then make choices.”

There. I told you he’s a genius! If anyone can make Donna Karan and Giorgio Armani “make it work” without using the skins of dead animals in their collections, he can. Carry on! (I just wanted to say that …)

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Tim Gunn is the real deal. He’s highly intelligent, driven, and creative. I hope one day, as a designer, I have a fraction of the dignity and class he exhibits. He’s one of the few people our culture can point to that has become both a pop-culture icon, and a cultural vanguard. We need more of people like him.

Tim — You are now even more than ever, A HERO OF MINE!! I always love your presence, tact, humor, warmth, and honesty on PROJECT — now I see such compassion and empathy in you as well. Thank you SO much for standing up for those whose very skins are ripped off them, to make some thoughtless human think they’re chic. I have a faux leopard coat that’s so warm I have to leave it unbuttoned. It’s gorgeous. So are the leopards who are alive and well.

I think Tim Gunn’s video is persuasive particularly for people on the fence. And I’m really glad he did it. But I have to admit I cringed when he said that people should be able to make a free choice. What about the animals? Why don’t they get to make a free choice?

Some have said it before let me say it again GOD BLESS YOU TIM GUNN. You have tremendous impact and influence in this industry what an absolute blessing you are. An answered prayer! Thank you so much for confronting this evil.

Thank you thank you Tim Gunn for showing all caring people exactly what happens to these poor innocent animals. This must STOP! It is Christmas morning and I am sitting here with tears on my face after witnessing the brutal torture of these beautiful creatures. With today’s technology in producing faux fur there is absolutely no reason on earth for this to happen. I really liked Tim Gunn before…now I love and respect him more than I can say what an honorable man.

The skinning of animals most often live is a morally bankrupt act that flies in the face of all that is decent and kind and good. Cheers to you Tim for standing up for the voiceless thousands who suffer and die for the sake of vanity. God bless you.

We need to stop this madness against these innocent animals. America is corrupted by the impact that the “fashionable” people that we let impact the message to our young youth. Its time for all of us to take a good look at ourselves and ask the question why we let this unjust act happen. Stand up! Make a voice in this world and help these animals. If you are not impacted by this video you are a sick lifeless cenacle person. Think Act and send a POSITIVE message. Help these animals. Thank you and God bless

Dear Tim This good news about you using your intelligence and well known status for the animals needs is beyond words. It is people like you that give these innocent fur babies hope. Enough is Enough. A lot of Fashion designers fall into the clishay that money is the root of all evil. I hope you can be one of the few to make a drastic impact on the fashion industry to educate and enlighten the many masses of people who either don’t care or don’t know they care because they haven’t seen the footage. You inspire me to keep pushing even harder. The activists P.E.T.A angels and people like you are the ones that will make a difference. Please continue to helping prevent one more animal from being brutally tortured. Im personally thanking you Tim for the animals for those who don’t know to thank you yet for those who do know what an incredible attribute you are to this issue and from me personally for brining tears to my eyes and giving this cause an even better chance of succeeding. We need you!!! Sincerely An even bigger fan now Kelly From California.

I’ve always enjoyed watching Tim Gunn on television…He always presented himself with such class. But now I think Tim Gunn is beyond classy…he’s become one of my personal heroes. Thanks Tim for using your influence for such a worthy cause.

Group hug to TIm Gunn He is the reason I watch Project Runway. He’s so encouraging and diplomatic with the designers you can see why he’s much loved. It’s truly admirable that he the courage to challenge these top designers. God Bless Tim! And the animals love you even more…

Bravo Tim! These unconscionable greedy fasion designors should also know that many of their customers tend to “Never forget” their history of cruelty even after they drop fur from their line. We all know that they stop if ever due to public pressure not bec’s they suddenly become enlightened!!! Several years ago Burlington Coat Factory was found to have used CAT fur on their coats calimed ignorance of it stopped carrying that particlar merchant’s coats. But I never went back to them as I can’t erase that story from my mind! But I guess it’s better late than never for the sake of the animals who share this planet with us!

Tim Gunn I will never forget how you stood up for these voiceless victims who screams of pains don’t touch some heartless fashion designers. There is no excuse to skin then alive for fur. It is sickening. you are my hero

We need to have this running on a loop on the commuter trains I ride. I see more fur coats and hats and god knows what than anything there. I realize that it’s below zero out folks but think about the animals who used to wear that skin. Maybe they would like to be warm or alive right now too?

Been forever since I had cable but when I did this was a show I watched. Glad to hear that Tim is speaking out against animal cruelty! “The world’s largest exporter of fur is now China where foxes rabbits and cats and dogs are often skinned alive.” If the fact that they are a communist nation doesn’t get people to stop buying products from China maybe this will.

Thanks Timvery well said! It’s too bad some of these designers are so lacking in empathy or perhaps just feigning ignorance of the brutal truth that they have to be embarrassed into dropping fur but so be it. Rock on Tim!

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